BY TER STAFF
Hours after the big announcement of their forthcoming mini-album, Johannesburg, British indie rockers Mumford & Sons brought their huge world tour to Madison, Wisconsin’s Alliant Energy Center. With approximately 10,000 fans in attendance, Mumford & Sons brought American singer/songwriter Blake Mills to help warm up the Midwest crowd and contribute to what would be a memorable night. The rockers mixed the old with the new tonight, performing a number of their fan favorites & B-sides with a number of new records, which we can now expect to hear on their forthcoming mini-album.
Kicking off the night was singer Blake Mills. Mills is certainly not new to music, as the singer has been consistently releasing music since 2010, however he certainly picked up a number of new fans tonight in Madison. A California native, Mills is perhaps best known for his record ‘Hey Lover’ or his work with Simon Dawes, a band Mills co-founded with his high-school friend Taylor Goldsmith. Notably Mills also stands out for his production skills, which grabbed him a “Producer of the Year” nomination for his work on Alabama Shakes’ 2015 album Sound & Color. Tonight though Mills’ set showcased his skills as a solo artist and performer. While Mills’ music, new and old, was new to many fans in Wisconsin tonight, his records certainly resonated well with the sold-out crowd.
Soon after Mills’ opening performance, it was time for Mumford & Sons to hit the stage. Despite their indie status, Marcus Mumford and company have a wide appeal, which is more than evident from their ability to sell out arena after arena on their current tour. While the guys joined forces in 2007, Mumford & Sons quickly rose to their elite status after the release of their 2012 LP, Babel, their second studio album and the follow up to their 2009 debut Sign No More, which brought fans singles like ‘Little Lion Man’ and ‘Winter Winds’.
Mumford & Sons opened tonight’s performance with their record ‘Snake Eyes’, a track from Mumford’s 2015 album, Wilder Minds, a project which debuted a new sound for the band which took their folk sound and traded their acoustic instruments for electric ones. Throughout the night the band jumped from album to album, performing an excellent mix from their three studio albums. Next, Mumford & Sons gave fans some new music with their record ‘Believe’. Throughout the night they made time to give fans a first listen as to what’s to come from the band, records that will likely find home on Mumford & Sons’ upcoming project, Johannesburg.
Highlights of the night were all over. Whether it’s a more upbeat performance or a slower record that turned the arena into an intimate performance, the crowd loved every moment. Of course though when fans had to wait for Mumford’s encore performance of their mega-hit ‘I Will Wait’, the energy levels were at an all-time high. Mumford & Sons have the ability to take intimate performances that you’d expect to hear at your local pub, and bring them to some of the biggest venues and music festivals throughout the world. Their live performances are certainly like none other.
Check out our photos from tonight’s performance below and check out the remaining dates from Mumford & Sons’ current tour here.
